The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-04-14
THE TALKS
JOSEPH SMITH, JR., DENOUNCES
pOLYGAIY.
4 Remarkable Sermon in the Famous
Old Temple at -MOrmons on
the Wrong Track.

! He said he had been rcViled and Slandered
at the great Mormon conference here, be-
cause he was the son of the great Mormon.
! The finger of scorn had been pointed at him
on the street and men had said There
goes Smith, the polygamistn Mr.. Smith
thought he had stood this treatment long
enough He therefore gave it out two or
three DAYS ago that he would talk on polyg-
amy, and would show why he took no
| stock in that clause of the Mormon religion.
! although a Mormon himself. He fulfilled
! his promise to-day in the presence of a
! crowd of :, 200 people. At times during his
| address there were attempts at applause,
/ which the stern countenances of the dozen
| or more elders gathered in solemn though
ununiforned conclave about the speaker
| soon smOthered.
| Mr.. Smith was i'll no ordinary mood His
! feelings had been wounded by the taunts
and ieers of unfeeing Gentiles, and his
| whole frame trembled while he proceeded
| to demonstrate the fallacy Of poygamy and
! the sOundneSs of the Mormon religion, mi
nus the clause in the bylaws He did not
! confine himself to immoderate thunderings
! or ponderOus explosives Nor did he en-
| deavor TO brighten his hearers into his way
sides of the curiously cut up pulpit, and at
! tempting to wreck the furniture He took
! up the Book of Mormon and the book of the
| covenant and faith of the Mormon Church
! and showed by them that the followers of
| Brigham Young were on the wrong track
! He went about his task in an argumenta-
tive fashion, and when he had finished
polygamy hung limp and lifeless over the
| pulpit rail At least this is the way it ap-
y.D1f 70 tSa "a nn rarr,.ao ion
The crowd was so large in the famous old
temple that it overtaxed the capaciouS build
! ing. All the little towns for y or - miles
around sent wagon loads of curious people
| The Church of Jesus Christ, of Latter Day
! Saints and Utah pOlygamy were synonymous
! terms to many of the visitors and they looked
! disappointed when the different elders and
| brethren marched up the aisles with only
| one wife each. Just as the son reached that
| point in the sky where the rays fell through
| the western window full upon the front of
| the pulpit tall form entered the front door
| He walked erect his broad shoulders well
! thrown back and his arms keeping up a Wig
orous swinging by his side. A great mass of
white hair covered his large and rather in
| tellectual head, and his eyes sparkled as he
! advanced toward the pulpit. His gray hair
stamped him as a man of 20. His walk and
manner were those of young man of 30.
! Mr.. Smith is just about half way between
these extremes. He is 81 years old and
seems in perfect physical condition.
As he came up the aisle a score of hands
were extended to him from the narrow
little boxes into which the people are
penned No one failed of a greeting When
he reached the pulpit the elders grasped his
hand, and said: "How de do, Brother
SmithF' The great prophets son took up a
hymn book and asked every one to sing.
The first two lines of the hymn run like
this:
''Hark! listen to the trumpets,
They sound for volunteers"
Some of the voices that Joined in the
singing had stirred up echoes in the same
old temple sixty years ago, when the cause
of MormOnism was leading precariOuS
existence on the very same hill The
members of the church of Jesus Christ OF
Latter Day Saints think every verse in a
hymn was written to be sung, and in the
little hymnalS in Use here it is an un-
fortunate hymn that has less than dozen
stanzas. SO the singers manage to keep in
good practice, and the preacher has time t.
prepare his sermon while the first HYMN is
being rendered.
Mr.. Smith began his sermon by the en-
phatic declaration: 81 have no belief in this
philosophy of polygamy. | am identified
with people MANY of whom have gone
with the advocates of plural marriages.
desire to state publicly that am not OF theiI
number This question of polygamy has
bothered the American nation for years
and it is the ambition of every statesman &c
solve the problem. As a people we, the
members of the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter Day Saints, have believed it so far as
our allegiance TO the mother church is con
cerned 1t is now a matter of little contro
versy between us. | need make no personal
onslaught on those who accept the polyga-
nous clause in tae Mormon religion, nOI
shall |. We ought to take it for granted
that God knew what He was about when He
created the world
"When the earth was ready for man God
placed man upon it. He placed Adam and
Eve in the Garden of Eden If he had in
tended two wives for Adam he would have
given them to him. When Adam and Eve
were joined together they were immortal
and the marriage was celestial. When Eve
wandered away from the beaten track Adam
{ followed her and l don't blame him. Now
there came n time when it was necessary e
begin pOpulating the earth over again Men
and women had sinned and God wished tC
crush wckedneSs out of the world. II he
had made mistake ut the creation in Civ
ing Adam but one wife here was q grand
opportunity to reverse the order Of things
and give Noah two wives. Did God do so
No. He commanded Noah 10 take one wife
and his servants one wife. Do not YOU my
brethren, believe that God is wise enough tC
have improved that opportunity to rectfy
any error in Judgment in parcelling out to
man hut one helpmeetl
But God had another opportunity to cor
rect the mistake, if one had been made
When He led Iehi and his wife ont of the
land of Judea if God had desired 70 reverse
His Judgment in giving Noah but a single
wife he could have put Himself right. But
tie did not do it. | take these three great
events as proof positive, unanswerabe and
overwhelming that God intended man t.
have but one wife But men say that this
IS an age of progression, that men are be
coming more liberal and broad minded. Aye
but Gods laws never change. The law OF
5000 years ago is the law of TODAY Goo
has no right to lie to us and he will not W.
believe that when He gave Adam and Noat
and LEM but one wife each he intended that
for all time man should have but one help
meet
AS prelude 70 the sermon a marriage
ceremony was performed - Elder John "
Lake, of Canada, promising 10 love and pro
tect Sister Mary Gooiin, of PttSburg
Three middle-aged women were baptized
into the church tonight
Found at Lord Bute's Place.
FtOm the London Truth.
A curious discovery was ma1e ln5i
Wpdups law i'm fine grounds of Nfnuutgtuo,.t